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Attn: All Barnstable Little League Participants/Parents/Grandparents/Fans

Subscribe to the Official Little League Newsletter and learn more about this great organization that supports youth baseball.

Welcome to the Little League Subscription Center. Keep up to date on Little League news, learn valuable coaching tips, receive updates on rules and take advantage of valuable offers created exclusively for the Little League membership. The following provides an overview of Little League communication. Subscribe today!

On Dec. 31, 2010, Little League International announced an expansion on the composite bat moratorium to all Little League baseball divisions. As leagues are taking the field throughout the country we have a few tips on how to find out which bats are permitted and which have been prohibited by the moratorium.

Softball bats are not subject to the moratorium.

The moratorium initiated by Little League International forbids the use of composite barrel bats. Some composite barrel bats have been issued a waiver. These bats have been tested and do not exceed the Bat Performance Factor limit throughout the life of the bat.

Wooden bats, aluminum/metal, alloy and (hybrid) composite handled bats (with no composite material in the barrel) with the approved barrel size and Bat Performance Factor (not greater than 1.15) clearly labeled on the bat are not subject to the moratorium.

What does the moratorium mean?

Since the moratorium, there have been licensed composite bats that have received a waiver because their Bat Performance Factor (BPF) standard does not exceed the limit after break in (ABI).

Where to find information on which bats are accepted

Approved Composite Bats (21/4-inch barrels) – permitted for use in Little League Majors

Additionally, Little League International has provided a list of 21⁄4-inch barrel licensed alloy/metal barrel and composite handled bats: http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/2011ApprovedNonWoodBatList.pdf

Little League has also started a discussion topic on its Facebook page where Little League International staff have been answering questions from users across the globe. The provided link will take you to the page: http://www.facebook.com/LittleLeagueBaseballAndSoftball

Overall, each list does not represent all bats that could be used in games and practices. A list including all bats manufactured would include thousands, so to be used in Little League it must: 1. Meet the specifications of Rule 1.10 for the division involved, and 2. Not be currently subject to the moratorium on composite-barreled baseball bats.

Read on to learn what the organizational set up is for local, regional, and national teams.

The First Level: The Local Little League Each Little League program is organized with a community. The league establishes its own boundaries with certain restrictions (explained later in this section). It is only from within this territory that the league may register its players.

All league personnel, including the officers, managers, coaches, umpires, auxiliary, field workers, etc., should be volunteers interested in providing the benefits of a Little League program to the youth of their community. Each league is guided by a Board of Directors, usually five to 25 adult volunteers from the community. There are now more than 7,400 Little League programs in more than 100 countries around the globe.

Although Little League regulations do not prohibit payments to umpires or other personnel, such employment is strongly discouraged. Those who work with children at the local league level should be interested only in volunteering their time to make their community a better place. The local league Board of Directors, elected from and by the adult members of the league, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the league within the rules, regulations and policies of Little League. The local league is encouraged to become incorporated, but it is not required.

Local Little Leagues are also provided with a suggested formula for organization, elections, etc., known as the league's "Constitution." Each league's Constitution must be reviewed and approved at the Regional Headquarters level.

To accomplish its goals, the Little League organization protects the integrity of each player, each team, and each community. Little League programs operate within specific boundaries for each league's territory to permit participation by all eligible youngsters within the boundaries. Adults in communities where no chartered Little League programs/divisions exist can organize a program with help from Little League Headquarters.

Each local league in the Little League program establishes its own boundaries with the total population not to exceed 20,000 within the boundaries. There are some exceptions to this as determined by the Charter Committee in Williamsport. A league's boundaries must not overlap or encroach on another chartered Little League's boundaries.

Although leagues may assess a registration fee, used to purchase uniforms and equipment, maintain fields, etc., the fee cannot be a prerequisite for playing. The Little League philosophy does not permit any eligible candidate to be turned away. Emphasizing the spirit of Little League, rules require that every child plays in every game.

The Second Level: The District For administrative and tournament purposes, roughly 10 to 20 leagues in a given area usually comprise a district. The District Administrator is an experienced volunteer elected by the constituent leagues to counsel, direct, and provide leadership in the policies and rules of the Little League program and to serve as liaison between the leagues and the Regional Director.

The District Administrator organizes the district tournament and attends the periodic International Congress where Little League rules and regulations are democratically reviewed and revised for the betterment of the program. There are more than 450 District Administrators worldwide, each with a staff of appointed and/or elected assistants to help more effectively serve his or her leagues. It is recommended, but not required, that the District become incorporated.

The Third Level: The Region The District Administrators report to the Regional Director, of which there are five in the United States. As part of the staff of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, the Regional Directors work out of Regional Centers at Warner Robins, Georgia; San Bernardino, California; Indianapolis, Indiana, Bristol, Connecticut, and Waco, Texas. Representatives for the International regions of Little League maintain offices in Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan and Poland.

The Fourth Level: International Headquarters Little League operations are led by Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball. Mr. Keener responds to the Little League Board of Directors, which includes eight field District Administrators elected to rotating terms by fellow District Administrators at the Congresses.

The full-time staff members of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, work with District Administrators, their assistants, and local league officials in developing new leagues, coordinating tournaments, and assisting in the overall operation of a local league program. Worldwide, there are about 110 full-time Little League employees (about one for every 40,000 children and adult volunteers).

Little League Headquarters, in agreement with its insurance carrier, offers various services including the processing and payment of accident claims under the programs offered by Little League Baseball. The service speeds up the necessary processing and provides a valuable service to affiliate leagues. The staff of Little League is available to provide a full range of services to more than 2.8 million participants registered in new and established leagues throughout the year.

The headquarters building is the focal point of the Little League complex of 66 acres in the Borough of South Williamsport, located south of the city of Williamsport on U.S. Route 15, a main north-south highway connecting Buffalo, New York and Washington, D.C. The plot contains five diamonds, including two regulation diamonds for Senior and Big League play, practice facilities, housing, dining and recreation areas, Howard J. Lamade Stadium (site of the annual World Series in August), a new World Series stadium, the John W. Lundy Conference Center, and the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum.

The headquarters building houses all administrative and business offices of Little League, as well as facilities for storage and mailing of large quantities of materials distributed annually to local leagues. Its operation is geared to five-day-a-week service throughout the year.

More than 300 games are played on Little League Headquarters diamonds from June to mid-August. Under scrutiny of headquarters personnel, these games offer opportunities for research in many areas of playing situations. As a result, new techniques in safety, training, equipment, etc., are constantly in view.

Friday, May 20Letter from Mike LeBlanc, President BLL

Dear ballplayers, families, and friends of Barnstable Little League,

The season is finally underway in all divisions. We thank you for your patience during this very busy time. We hope that you are finding our new website useful and enjoyable, since we have made a significant effort to improve in this area. Since we’ve implemented the new website with scores, standings, schedules, handouts, on-line registration, and more, we are approaching 40,000 hits.

There are a couple of important items to highlight at this stage of the season. Our annual raffle, which is the key fundraiser for BLL, has begun. We have made a concerted effort this year to distribute our raffle tickets earlier to give our teams and kids more selling time. All teams, except for the Seniors division, should have received their ticket packages. We have chosen as our Grand Prize a Red Sox-Yankees game and travel package to New York City, and we’ve added Best Buy gift certificates and an Apple iPad as prizes. Opportunities for teams to sell at public places such as local Stop & Shops, Country Garden, Cotuit Liquors, and more will be offered via the coaches. We ask that all coaches and teams dedicate some of their baseball time to this very important activity for our league.

As you know, BLL forms All-Star teams at the 9, 10, 11, and 12 year-old levels for tournament play, which includes Little League sanctioned events as well as private events organized by town leagues in our region. We are requiring those players selected to pay for their participation in order to subsidize the cost of uniforms, equipment, umpires, and tournament fees. This can be done on-line by clicking on the “All-Star registration” menu. Only 10 year-old majors players have been selected, given that their tournament is over Memorial Day weekend. Other levels will be selected toward the end of the season.

Lastly, please mark your calendars for June 18th, which is our annual Family Day year-end celebration. There will be food, games, activities, announcement of the Frank Finn awards, selection of the raffle winners, and much much more. We are very excited to open our season at all levels, and we sincerely thank you for your continued support of our program.